A Doll's Life
by GinStan
Summary: A former Emily's revenge on Miranda doesn't go exactly as planned.


A Doll's Life

by Gin

Based on a prompt by **Vincezra McQuestion**

A/N – Many, many thanks to the wonderful beta readers. Lara, SGR, and Kam. The story is much, much better with their input.

"Andy!"

Andy Sachs, Miranda Priestly's assistant, turned her head and smiled at the twin girls running toward her through the empty parking lot. "Hey!" One of her new duties as Miranda's assistant was to escort Miranda's daughters home from school each day. After the divorce the girls' nanny had "quit", before she was fired for siding with Stephen. Andy wasn't sure why another nanny hadn't been hired, but Miranda had simply told her that the task of gathering the girls from school was now on her shoulders. Okay, what Miranda really said was "They asked for you." Andy figured that was because of the nightly conversations they had when she would deliver the Book. And that was fine with her, although she did wish that Miranda had a more selfish reason to assign her this particular duty. She had hoped that Miranda also wanted her around a little longer during the day.

They always stayed late on Wednesday's to practice on the pianos in the school's conservatory. This particular Wednesday, however, was special and the girls were in for a fantastic surprise. She laughed as they latched on to her and gave each of them a one armed hug. "Did you have a good day at school?"

"Meh." Caroline shrugged.

"It was school." Cassidy's tone matched her sisters and may as well have said 'meh' herself.

"Well, guess what..." Andy grinned at the girls and turned them to face the car that would normally take them home. Her brown eyes twinkled when the door opened and Miranda stepped out onto the sidewalk.

"MOM!"

Both girls released Andy immediately and ran to greet their mother with an octopus hold Ursula would have been proud of. "What are you doing here?!"

"The photo shoot today was quite successful and I find myself with some time before the Book is to be delivered, so I decided to spend it with the people I love the most." Miranda smiled at the children. "Is that acceptable?"

An evil laugh interrupted the moment. "More than acceptable."

Miranda's smile vanished as she tried to locate the source of the almost maniacal laughter. When she did she spoke as cold and disdainfully as the Dragon ever had. "Olivia."

"Damn, you actually remember me... my actual name. So calling me Emily for two months was just to annoy me. I knew it. I thought, at first, you just couldn't remember who you were speaking to, but then I realized you aren't that stupid. You're just a total bitch."

"Hey!" Andy shook off her shock of the confrontation and stepped closer. "Don't talk to her that way!"

Olivia turned toward Andy and laughed. "Seriously? You work for her right? And you're defending her?"

"She's a great boss!" Andy's hands were balled into fists at this point. "She just doesn't put up with people not doing their jobs efficiently."

"Their jobs?!" Olivia scoffed. "Fulfilling her ridiculous whims was my job. Trying to track down stupid little things that she's forgotten. Like remembering things is beneath her. Like remembering peoples names is beneath her."

"Some people aren't worth remembering." Miranda did, in fact, remember this young woman. Her dismal efforts as assistant only allowed her to last nine weeks in the halls of Runway.

The statuesque blonde laughed again. "People are just things to you. Minions to order around. Dolls to dress up and pose as you wish. That's probably all you thought about when you had your girls, dressing them up, showing them off..." Her focus turned to the children, "Well, let's just give you your greatest wish then, eh? I didn't actually dream you would be here to witness it, but having you here now is just the icing on the cake." Pulling a small piece of paper from her pocket, Olivia concentrated as she read the words written there. Murmuring the words accompanied by some rather complicated hand gestures, the scrap of paper disappeared in a burst of flame. Olivia pointed to the girls and just as a spark of light released from her fingertips Andy jumped between the crazy ex-Emily and the girls.

"NO!" Andy felt the light hit her and she bent double as she landed on the pavement in front of the three stunned Priestly women.

They didn't know where to look first, the screaming woman who had attacked them, who was now on her knees pounding the concrete with her fists yelling something about how it would only work once, or the small plastic Barbie-like doll that looked exactly like Andy Sachs that now lay on the sidewalk in front of them.

Miranda moved slowly and gently picked up the small representation of Andrea. She held the doll in her hands with infinite care and spoke with barely suppressed fury at the raving ex-Emily. "What have you done?"

Olivia looked up from her fit and took in Miranda's near Dragon tone and her body language. The spell hadn't hit the children as she had planned, but this, she recognized the fury in Miranda's eyes and realized that this might just be better. "I've done more than I thought, apparently." Olivia rose to her feet. "Good for me."

"Change her back." Miranda took a step forward. "Now."

"Nope, even if I could, I wouldn't." Olivia clapped her hands together and laughed. "But I never asked how to break the curse." There was a great deal of glee shining in her eyes. "The great Miranda Priestly doesn't know what to do when someone defies her orders, eh?" Olivia snarled. "Get used to it." She pointed to the Andy doll in Miranda's hands. "Your favorite toy certainly isn't going to be jumping through any of your hoops anymore." Turning she began to walk away when Miranda again spoke.

"Stop! I'll call the police."

Whirling at that threat Olivia actually laughed again. "Police? And say what? I turned your pet into a doll?" Shaking her head at that, Olivia grinned. "Yeah, okay. Call 'em. They'll put you away before they do anything to me." She gestured to Roy who was just returning from the grocery on the corner. "Even your driver didn't see anything."

Miranda knew the lunatic was correct. No one would believe her, she barely believed it herself and if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn't believe it either. So here she stood, helpless, holding the miniature plastic replica of Andrea with her two wide eyed children staring up at her hopefully.

"You'll fix Andy, right Mom?" Caroline's gaze alternated between Miranda's face and the doll in her hands.

"We have to fix her!" Cassidy was hesitant but reached out to touch the Andy doll's hair, only to draw her hand back quickly when Miranda shifted the doll away from the touch.

"Don't!" Miranda's forehead furrowed as she realized what she'd done. Exhaling softly, Miranda shook her head. "I'm sorry, Bobbsey." She moved her hands closer to the girl. "I just don't understand any of this."

Cassidy touched Doll Andy's hair and shivered slightly. The hair didn't feel at all like it did on any of the other Barbie type dolls she had a home.

It felt real.

Roy handed the snacks he had gathered from the store to the girls before he closed the door on the backseat. He slid into the driver's seat and then hesitantly asked. "Should we wait for Ms. Sachs?"

"No." Miranda swallowed hard and never took her eyes off the odd doll in her hands. "She will join us later."

"Right." Roy started the car and questioned, "Home then?"

"Yes," Miranda agreed absently. "Home."

Roy merely put the car in motion and pointed it in the correct direction. It was strangely silent in the back until Miranda reached for her phone and began issuing orders to some hapless girl. The newest Emily had better be at her best today, because from the tone in Miranda's voice if her instructions weren't followed to the absolute letter, someone was getting fired.

Little did Roy know that it was not the newest Emily that Miranda had called. It was, however, one of the best. The only one Miranda knew she could trust with something this important, the only one other than Andrea.

Emily met them at the townhouse, with Nigel in tow, as instructed. When they heard the story Miranda told them, Emily's only reaction was a murmured "Bloody Hell". Nigel ran his hand over his bald head a few times, either to help himself calm down or to try and think of what to say. Neither of those happened.

"What do we do now?" Emily blinked, obviously surprised at herself for asking Miranda a question.

"We find out what exactly was done to Andrea, and discover what it will take to reverse it." Miranda licked her lips and gently sat the doll on the small table next to the couch. "And we should do that as quickly as possible."

"Of course." Emily stood to leave. "I'll get on it straight away."

Nigel also stood, but Miranda stopped him. "Nigel. I will need some things. I'll send you a list."

He nodded, "Absolutely. Anything you need."

"Thank you, Nigel." Miranda turned to see Emily had stopped to look back at them while she waited for Nigel. "Thank you, Emily. I know with your help this will be resolved as quickly as possible."

Emily smiled and bowed her head once. "Yes, Miranda."

"Mom?"

Miranda looked up to see her girls inching closer. They had been uncharacteristically silent during their meal and then had disappeared upstairs for quite some time. She gestured them closer and sighed as they took their places on either side of her. She hugged them close. "What is it, my darlings?"

They exchanged looks for a moment, communicating in their silent twin language before Caroline spoke. "We went up to the attic and found some things you might want...for Andy." Her eyes flickered to the table that held the tiny replica of their friend. "We put them on the nightstand in your room."

"Thank you, Bobbseys." Miranda couldn't imagine what she would need, for Andrea, but she appreciated the girls' efforts during this strange time. "I believe that now we should all prepare for bed. It has been quite a long day."

"Has the Emily delivered the Book?" Cassidy looked around for the item in question.

"Not yet." Miranda pressed her lips together and shook her head. "It doesn't matter, really. It will wait until morning without any major consequences."

Nodding at that, the girls untangled themselves from their mother's embrace and waited for Miranda to carefully pick up the Andy doll before they all made their way upstairs to their respective bedrooms.

Miranda stopped mid-step upon entering her room. The things the girls deemed necessary for Andrea were heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. On a side table near her bed, Miranda examined the doll bed and accessories they had set in the fashion of a bedroom diorama. Very gently, Miranda straightened out the doll Andrea's waist so the she could place the doll in what looked like a somewhat comfortable position on the tiny bed. She used a miniature blanket to cover Andrea's form and straightened a bit of the dark hair on the bit of pillow. She nodded to herself and then moved away, intent on performing her normal bedtime routine on this anything but normal day.

By the end of her routine, Miranda felt slightly more in control and had heard the Book delivery downstairs. She glanced at the doll in the tiny tabletop bedroom and said, "Be right back." before exiting the room. Upon her return, Book and drink in hand, Miranda settled into her bed. She tried to do a bit of editing, but in her state of mind she knew that many things that were perfectly acceptable would be found at fault, so she set the Book aside and finished her wine. Turning out the light, she murmured, "Good night, Andrea. Sweet dreams." The response was entirely expected. Silence.

What Miranda didn't hear as she drifted to sleep was the slight shuffling of fabric and the low ding of her cell phone receiving a text message.

Miranda woke slowly, as dim light filtered into the room and as she recalled events of the previous evening she turned to face the small bedroom scene on the table next to her. She was startled to see the Andy doll sitting on the side of the bed, with a tiny phone in her hand. The doll seemed to be watching her sleep. It was a bit unnerving and she made a note to speak to the girls about being in her room while she slept.

Running through her morning routine quickly, Miranda grabbed her phone and headed downstairs. As she descended the stairs she checked her messages to see if Emily had miraculously found the solution to the issue of plasticized Andrea. What she saw stopped her motion mid-step. She blinked but the letters on the screen remained. She had messages, from Andrea.

The image of the Andrea Doll sitting on the edge of the toy bed with the tiny cell phone in her hand flashed through her head. Quickly opening the first message, Miranda read as she continued down the stairs.

The first messages were heartbreaking, frantic messages trying to make sense of what was happening. Then she seemed to get hold of herself and began to make sense. As she read, Miranda understood that Andrea was in a state of paralysis when anyone else was in the room with her, watching her. Much like that toy movie Disney put out where the toys would come to life when no one was watching. However, Andrea was quite alone. It was a great relief to know that no other toys in the house had the ability to move on their own.

Miranda wiped a tear from her cheek as she read the last message Andrea had sent.

"Battery about to die. No charger available"

She stared at the screen and resisted the urge to run back upstairs. If these messages were true, going back into the room would not help anything as Andrea would simply freeze when Miranda entered the room. The first order of business would be to find Andrea another means of communication.

Andy blinked as Miranda exited the room. Waking up last night here in this plastic mock up of a bedroom had been a shock for sure, but not quite as shocking as it had been to realize where this 'room' was and who was sleeping in the bed next to the table she was on. Miranda had often appeared in her dreams but this was more like a nightmare.

When the memory of the attack returned, Andy had taken some time to wrap her mind around what had happened. Aside from being sick about being turned into a doll, she got warm fuzzy feelings from the fact that Miranda had obviously taken care of her after the incident. Out of habit, Andy had reached for her phone and to her relief had found it in her pocket. She had been amazed that it had still functioned, but realized that there was no way to recharge it after her battery died. Since it had been near the end of the day the battery was already low. Now she looked at the phone in her hand. As expected, the battery was dead. She was glad that there had been enough charge left to at least let Miranda know what was going on with her. Not being able to talk to Miranda was terrible. Nightmare indeed.

After her phone had died, Andy had simply sat and watched Miranda sleeping. She had never really dreamed she would ever get the chance to do that. She had of course fantasized about it, but that was all it was, knowing that there was no possibility that it would ever happen. Yet here she was. She looked down at her Barbie-like body and sighed. "Now that I have a body Miranda might even deem acceptable, it's a totally impossible match."

Walking to the edge of the table, Andy looked at the large bed Miranda had slept in and the gap that separated the furniture. With a shrug, she turned to walk back to the toy bed then whirled and ran toward the edge, jumping the gap to land on the plush surface. She wasn't sure why exactly she had escaped her plastic room, but for some reason she just felt better being closer to where Miranda had been.

She was just about to settle in the indentation on the pillow Miranda had used when the sound of the door opening caused her to turn her head. She only just recognized Miranda's housekeeper holding a pile of fresh sheets when her entire body stiffened.

Then there was just nothing.

Miranda listened to Emily relaying the information she had gotten so far. It was impressive and Miranda wondered when the woman slept. Olivia's movements had been well enough documented with credit card receipts and phone records to trace where, at least Emily thought where, she had procured the 'curse' she had placed on Andrea. Miranda understood that there were several 'hackers' that Emily owed favors to at this point and Miranda would, of course, make good on anything they were promised. It was a little charm shop in the heart of the city. Emily had conveyed her plans to be there when the doors opened to inquire about the curse and the way to break it.

Miranda nearly smiled at the woman. "I do appreciate that you have gone above and beyond on this."

"Of course, Miranda." Emily smiled. It wasn't often that Miranda praised anyone. "Oh, and here's the cell phone you asked for." She handed over the item in question. "I have added your contact information to it, as you requested."

"Thank you, Emily." Miranda accepted the phone. "I'm sure it will be a great comfort to Andrea to be able to text us, and to go online."

"I'm sure it will." Emily obviously wasn't as sure about the 'us', since Andy hadn't texted anyone but Miranda after the incident. She glanced at her watch. "Okay. I'm off." She didn't even realize that she'd left without Miranda's dismissal.

Miranda watched her leave and chuckled as she mumbled to herself. "They don't stand a chance. Not when Emily is that determined."

Knowing that issue was well in hand, Miranda again suppressed the urge to rush home to be with Andrea and turned her attention to the task at hand. Runway wouldn't just publish itself.

Andy 'woke', startled by the sound of a closing door. She looked around and nearly panicked. "Where am I?!" This was definitely not Miranda's room. The surface she was on was nearly as plush as Miranda's bed, but smaller and the color scheme was odd. When she finally registered what posters were framed on the wall Andy calmed down slightly. "Caroline's room." She relaxed back on the bed for a moment. "Cristina must have thought I belonged to the girls..." She shook her head and studied the room with less frantic eyes. There, on the dresser across the room was her little plastic bedroom. She chuckled when she realized that even her tiny bed had been carefully ordered.

A quick, habitual, check of her phone verified that yes the battery was indeed still dead. Andy had the stray thought of trying to get back to Miranda's room, but the ticks of giant St. Bernard claws on the floor outside Caroline's room curbed that urge. First she wouldn't be able to get the door open, but the thought of trying to make her way through the hall without Patricia noticing her, and possibly eating her, was plenty to keep her right were she was. She wasn't getting out, but Patricia wasn't getting in either. She knew for a fact that the dog wasn't allowed in any of the bedrooms unless the owner of the room was present.

It was crazy boring here though, not to dis Caroline's room, it was probably great if you were a full sized girl, but being a toy sized doll didn't make for a plethora of activities you could participate in. The stereo on the shelf across from her held possibilities though. A little music wouldn't hurt, right?

Miranda kept her eyes on Emily as the woman reported her findings from the charm shop. Her eyes remained steady, but her heart rate sped up considerably and her brain function seemed to shut down. It wasn't until the conclusion of Emily's speech that Miranda tuned back in.

"So there it is, simple as every other curse in basically every other fairy tale ever written. True love's kiss is all it will take. Then Andy will be back to normal."

"Then why would Olivia bother to curse the girls?" Miranda didn't understand that at all. "One of the first things I would have done if they had been changed into dolls would have been to kiss them." Surely a mother's love would be true enough.

"Well, you did say that the reason she wouldn't tell you how to break the curse was that she didn't know." Emily shrugged at the former Emily's short-sightedness. "Perhaps if she'd known she would have chosen another target." That was tough though, because the woman had obviously been going for maximum hurt on Miranda, so any other target would have needed to be dear to Miranda. Emily shook her head slightly with the knowledge that no one on the face of this planet was as dear to Miranda as her daughters.

Miranda thought about what other target Olivia could have chosen and pressed her lips together. Of course, the crazed woman had hit the only other person that Miranda found acceptable to associate with on a personal basis. That never happened with assistants, but still she did find herself in Andrea's company quite often. Most recently in the evenings when Andrea would bring The Book and remain for some time. It was ostensibly work, but nothing that couldn't have been done the next day. Still, as much time as they had spent together, Miranda didn't know very much about Andrea or her personal life. "Does Andrea have a significant other? Someone who would possibly be able to break the curse?"

Opening her mouth to speak, Emily closed it again. Even in this dire circumstance it was not her place to tell Miranda about the crush Andy had on their boss. "Not that I now of. She broke up with her last boyfriend months ago."

"Months?"

"Yes, Miranda." Emily gently flexed her leg, so recently out of its cast. "Just before Paris."

Miranda went very still. Paris. It wasn't something she normally did, but she spoke to Emily as a woman instead of an employer. "She nearly left me in Paris. Did you know that?"

Shaking her head, Emily uttered a phrase she had never before used, and probably wouldn't ever again. "No, Miranda." She smiled slightly as that gained her a sharp look from her boss. "She nearly left Runway, yes. But she would never leave you." With a deep breath, she bit her lip then continued, "And, if you think about it, honestly, you know who can break the curse."

"Do I?"

Nodding, Emily assured her. "You do." With a bit of a sad smile, Emily decided her job here was done. "Well then, if you don't have anything else for me to do I'm sure I should be getting back to the Art Department." Her semi-smile turned to a bit of a cheeky grin. "Runway won't just publish itself you know."

Miranda nodded and chuckled a bit at the echo of her own earlier thought. "That's all."

Miranda entered her home at the end of, what felt like, a very long day. It had actually been shortened somewhat by the necessity of meeting the girls after school and escorting them home. After yesterday's incident with Olivia, Miranda was not taking any chances. She went up the stairs, somewhat slower than the children. They had entered their rooms quickly to dispose of their book bags and change into somewhat more casual clothing. Miranda also went to her bedroom and stopped short when Andrea's mock-up bedroom and the Andrea Doll were gone from the nightstand. She was about to panic when Caroline's voice called from down the hall.

"Mom! Andy's in here."

Eating the distance between their rooms in more of a run than walk, Miranda caught herself on the door to Caroline's room. "How did she get in here?"

"I don't know." Cassidy gently held the doll. "She was sitting on the shelf below the stereo." She handed Andy carefully to her mother.

"Perhaps she wanted to listen to some music." Miranda never took her eyes off the doll's face and nearly dropped the plasticized figure when she thought she saw the tiny lips quirk in a half smile. She blinked and looked again, of course the lips were exactly like every other doll. They didn't move. Andrea had already said that she couldn't move in the presence of any other conscious person. "Take her room and furniture back to my room please."

"Sure, Mom." Cassidy began to gather up the items. "Maybe we could find some other clothes for Andy to wear?"

"We most certainly will not be undressing her! She is not a toy!" Miranda's heart unaccountably sped up at the notion of undressing Andrea.

"Mom... Mom...calm down." Caroline patted the air in front of her. "We meant, Andy must be tired of wearing that. We could leave her some clothes and she could change herself, right? If we leave the room?" She thought that is what their mother had explained to them during the ride home from school.

"Yes." Taking a deep breath, Miranda calmed down and nodded. "Yes, of course." She shied away from thinking about why her first instinct was to undress Andrea and her reaction to that thought. Just as she had shied away from thinking about Emily's confident statement regarding who would be able to break this curse. Of course, Emily was correct. Miranda had been pushing her feelings for Andrea away for quite some time now, but it was time to step up. If showing her feelings now would help Andrea, would bring her back to normal, then Miranda would put aside her reservations and believe in the feelings she had been trying to deny for so long.

Placing Andrea back on the nightstand in her own little bedroom, Miranda gingerly set the new cell phone on a stand near one of the walls. It looked rather like a large screen television, but with keys Andrea could manipulate to send texts and such. She sat for a moment on the side of her bed and contemplated the young woman's predicament. If Emily was correct, she, Miranda, must kiss Andrea to break the curse. She could do that, but she could not guarantee that would successfully end this rather surreal nightmare. And she would absolutely not do anything of the sort without Andrea's full and proper consent. Therefore, when the girls got back with the additional clothing, they would leave the room. It was nearly time for the evening meal anyway. That would give Andrea time to change if she wished, and time to maneuver the new phone controls. When she received Andrea's inquiry regarding any progress made, Miranda would convey Emily's findings and they would... go from there.

Nothing. Miranda vowed. Absolutely nothing would happen without Andrea's express consent. She looked up as the twins entered the room and nodded when they held out their hands, outfits laying flat in their palms. "Acceptable." She gestured to the nightstand. "Leave them for her and we will return after our meal."

The girls nodded and did as they were told. Task complete, they all linked elbows and walked to the door. Both girls looked over their shoulders before they got to the door and Miranda looked back, just as she exited the room. It was such an odd day, none of them realized that the door was still open when they walked downstairs.

The atmosphere was tense as they ate. Miranda's stomach was in knots waiting for a text from Andrea. It wasn't until the main course that she realized what was missing from the table, or rather somewhat under/beside it. "Girls, where is Patricia?" The dog was always there, hopeful that some scraps would be tossed her way, even though they never were. Human food was strictly prohibited, however, Miranda assumed that the girls would sneak bits to the canine vacuum from time to time, or else the shaggy beggar wouldn't continue to sit at their feet for every meal. Then a thought struck her and she stood suddenly. "We didn't shut the door!"

Taking the stairs two at a time, Miranda rushed into her room. Her heart, already beating wildly, seemed to stop at the sight of Patricia standing in front of the nightstand, growling. "Patricia!" Moving further into the room, Miranda grabbed the dog by the collar. "No, Patricia!" She handed her hold on the collar over to the girls. "Take her downstairs. Give her some treats in her bowl." Not even watching to see if her command had been followed, Miranda searched the little bedroom with a glance. She sighed with relief when she saw the Andrea Doll crouched behind the cell phone. It wasn't much protection, even though it was a model with a larger screen. While still a doll, Andrea was at least twice as tall as the phone. She had made herself as small as possible, wrapping her long arms around her folded knees. Poor thing, Miranda thought, she must have been terrified. The urge to cuddle the doll to her was frighteningly strong, but Miranda resisted and merely carefully straightened out Andrea's limbs. Standing her next to the small bed, Miranda grabbed one of the Post-It Notes she used to edit the Book and wrote a quick note, leaving it where Andrea would see it immediately upon regaining consciousness. Then she left, making sure the door was securely closed behind her.

It took longer than she expected, but when Miranda reached the small sitting area just outside the kitchen, her phone pinged with the arrival of a text message. Andrea's thanks were effusive and again the urge to rush back upstairs was strong. Instead, Miranda sat in her favorite chair and began the explanation, the way Emily had explained it to her, of how to break the spell that Andrea was now experiencing. The long silence after the information had been conveyed made Miranda extremely nervous. Not because of the method necessary, but because of the last line of text she had sent.

"Emily believes that I should be the one to break the spell"

She berated herself for sending that. Who knew how Andrea would respond? But would she know that I agree? She quickly sent another message.

"I believe Emily is correct, at least from my side."

The messages remained unanswered long enough to make Miranda nervous. She began to second guess herself. Perhaps she would rather remain in this state than... Miranda shook herself out of those thoughts. Of course Andrea wants to be herself again. Perhaps she just doesn't think I am the one to help and doesn't know how to tell me. Swallowing against the idea of Andrea remaining a doll forever, Miranda knew that as much as Andrea wanted to be herself again, Miranda wanted Andrea to be herself again just as badly.

Maybe more.

When the silence dragged on longer than she could stand, Miranda sent another text.

"Should we call someone else? Your mother, perhaps?"

The response to that was instant. "No."

Miranda began to type a response when another text from Andrea arrived.

"I agree with Emily."

Now it was Miranda's turn to be silent. Formulating a response took long enough that another text finally arrived from Andrea.

"Miranda?"

There wasn't ever any emotion in texts, but for some reason this one word felt like a plea. Enough that Miranda managed to reply.

"Are you sure?"

It was gratifying that the answering text was quick to arrive.

"Yes."

Standing quickly, Miranda made her way back to her bedroom and shook her head when she saw the position the Andrea Doll had frozen in. The young woman had the temerity to be standing next to the cell phone in the pose of looking at her wrist, as if checking the time it took for Miranda to arrive.

She couldn't help but laugh at Andrea's good humor about the situation and spoke quietly. "Cheeky thing."

Gathering her courage, Miranda carefully picked up the doll and paused. If this worked would Andrea suddenly be her normal full size again? It had only taken a second for her to transform into the doll. She didn't want to suddenly be holding Andrea. It posed an accident hazard, not to mention it would be very awkward. So she decided that instead of standing, they should be lying down for this part of the cure. Feeling sightly ridiculous she gently placed the the Andrea Doll on the bed and then laid down beside her. Without thinking too much more about it, Miranda leaned over and closed her eyes as she kissed the red tinged plastic cheek.

She felt a sort of tingle where her lips met the hard plastic, then a whoosh of air puffed her hair back and then before she could even open her eyes, soft lips had found her own and they were kissing, for real. Miranda groaned and wrapped her arms around the warm Andrea sized person who was kissing her so thoroughly. Long arms wrapped around her and she could feel the heat from Andrea's hands pressing them together. She didn't want to stop kissing this person, ever. Yet she did stop and opened her eyes to see for herself. "Andrea."

"Yeah," Andy smiled. "It's me." She searched Miranda's face and traced Miranda's lips with her fingertips. "Thank you."

"For?" Miranda followed the touch with a tilt of her head. "Getting you turned into a doll?"

Andy shook her head. "For taking care of me." Leaning in for another kiss, Andy murmured. "For being my one true love."

"Well, my Love, you need to either get under the covers or get dressed, because if you continue to lay here naked I cannot be responsible for my actions." For some reason it hadn't occurred to her that the clothing Andrea was wearing wouldn't become full size as well. After all the clothing she had been wearing had shrunk when Andrea had become a doll. Miranda tried to control her eyes, looking directly into Andrea's and drowning in the mahogany shade. Her hands had other ideas and now roamed over Andrea's bare body with very little censure.

"Oh." Andy glanced down at herself. "My clothes must have shredded when I grew."

"Mmmm...It wasn't what you were wearing when the spell hit you, but then," Miranda nibbled on Andrea's jawline, "no fabric stretches that much."

"Hey!" Andy laughed and pretended to be hurt. "Is that a fat joke?"

Chuckling, Miranda continued her nibbles lower on Andrea's neck. "No, Andrea. Just a fact. You were a doll. No fabric stretches that much."

"Hmph..." Andy forgot what she was huffing about when Miranda's lips hit an especially sensitive spot on her neck. "Mmmm... how about instead of me getting dressed..." She hooked her index finger over the top button on Miranda's shirt, "... you get undressed." She used Miranda's shocked pause to initiate her own attack on Miranda's neck and shoulders. "Sounds fair to me..." Miranda's moan seemed to indicate that the woman agreed.

"Oh..." Miranda pulled back as the top button on her shirt was opened. "No... Andrea, we can't." Pulling herself together, she used the bedspread to cover Andrea's deliciously tempting body. "The girls, they'll be worried." She began to move away, off the bed. "We need to tell them that this worked."

With a sigh, Andy nodded. "Okay." She looked up and fluttered her eyelashes at Miranda. "Find me some clothes then." She chuckled. "I am kinda hungry, too." She put her hand on her stomach. "It's been a while since I've eaten."

"Oh!" Miranda berated herself. "I didn't even think about that! I should have..."

Her next words were stopped effectively by Andrea's lips and then she forgot what she was going to say. They continued the kiss for a long moment and then Miranda broke it to explore the recesses of her gigantic closet. It wasn't as large as the closet at Runway, but it was still an actual room full of clothing, not like a regular closet size at all. From some seldom used drawers in the back, Miranda pulled a pair of soft sweatpants, a cotton t-shirt, and some thick socks. She also acquired some rather lacy intimate apparel before she returned to the main bedroom. "These should suffice."

Taking the items with some suspicion, Andy quickly donned them and ignored the fact that she was now wearing expensive lingerie under sweats, but was indeed covered sufficiently. "Now to the kitchen?"

"Yes." Miranda held out her hand. "Come along. We will find something suitable for your meal. Soup perhaps."

"Oh yeah, that sounds great."

The greeting she got from the girls was nearly overwhelming, but Andy managed to deal with stereo hugs and profuse apologies. "No way any of this is your fault!" She ruffled the concerned children's hair and smiled at them. "It all worked out. No worries." She winked at them before they hugged her and ran to their rooms to finish their homework.

"You are good with them." Miranda spoke quietly as she stirred the soup she had started warming while the girls were interacting with Andrea.

"They're good kids." Andy rolled her eyes at Miranda's raised eyebrows. "They are and you know it!" She absently reached out to snag a slice of bread and began tearing small bits of it off to eat. "Sure they play pranks, but kids do that kind of stuff."

Miranda just shook her head and muttered "stuff" under her breath as she prepared a grilled cheese sandwich to go with the tomato soup she was reheating. It only took a few moments and just before setting the bowl of soup in front of her guest, Miranda sprinkled a bit of basil on top. The grilled cheese went next to it. "Drink?"

"Milk?"

Nodding, Miranda quickly filled a glass and handed it to Andrea. "Don't eat too quickly."

Andy ate in silence for a moment. "I never thought I'd be here doing this." She gestured to the food Miranda herself had prepared. "It's kind of surreal to me."

Miranda's eyes widened. "You've lived the better part of two days as a doll, Andrea, and **this** is surreal?"

"Yeah." Andy shrugged and took another bite of her sandwich. She grinned a wicked grin and made sure to watch Miranda for her reaction to the next statement. "I'm just glad that when you kissed me I turned back into a person and you didn't turn into a doll." It paid off to be watching, because Miranda's eyes got huge for a moment. The shock on her face was obvious.

"Could that have happened?"

Andy shrugged again. "I dunno. It's freaking magic!"

Miranda regained her composure and waved off the possibility. "Ah well. No matter. If I had been reduced to doll status then we would have still been together."

Nodding at that, Andy took the last bite of her soup. "Living together in a Dream House?"

"Oh yes." Miranda's lips quirked. "But that can happen anyway, if you wish."

It took Andy a minute but then she realized. "You mean here? Really?"

"If you wish." Miranda swallowed hard. It was far too soon to be even mentioning this, even though the young woman had oh so recently been naked in her bed, moving in together was a big step. "You will have to resign your position as my assistant." Her brow furrowed at Andrea's shaking head.

"Assistant's don't 'resign', Miranda." Andy leaned across the counter and kissed Miranda's lips. "I quit."

Rolling her eyes at that, Miranda waved off Andrea's last statement. "No you don't. You're fired. If you quit you don't get unemployment, so you're fired... understand?"

Mahogany eyes narrowed. "I guess."

"Not that you'll need it." Miranda went on. "With a recommendation from me, you can get a job anywhere you want in publishing." She held up her hand when Andrea began to protest. "You've put in your time at Runway. Anyone who lasted this long would get a recommendation from me."

"Okay." Andy glanced at her empty bowl and plate then turned her eyes back to meet Miranda's. "I'm not hungry, for food, anymore."

"Oh?"

Taking Miranda by the hand, Andy led her back up to the bedroom. She didn't say anything but her lips quirked when Miranda again uttered a breathless.

"Oh."

Andy dozed, perfectly satiated, her naked form wrapped around Miranda's. It was an amazing feeling. Honestly just being her own size again was great, but having her daydreams become reality was just amazing. Knowing that Miranda felt the same about her as she did about Miranda was like a miracle. A thought occurred to her and she chuckled slightly. It roused Miranda from her doze.

"What is so funny?"

"Mmm..." Andy kissed the soft skin just next to her lips. "I was just thinking about how glad I was to be changed into a Barbie-type doll, instead of any other kind."

Miranda snorted. "Andrea, you would make a terrible Rag Doll. Your breasts are far too large." She shifted to kiss the breasts in question.

Andy laughed and rolled to put Miranda under her. "I suppose, but that's not the kind of doll I was thinking of."

"Oh?"

Sticking a bit of her tongue out and biting it, Andy giggled. "I was thinking more of the... sex variety."

"Ha!" Miranda now took the initiative and rolled them over so Andrea was below her. She indicated their position and winked at the younger woman. "And that would be different how?"

Laughing again, Andy merely wrapped her legs around Miranda and sighed. "Ah well... I guess it's a doll's life for me."

Miranda nodded and softened her expression. "For as long as you want."

Stretching up, Andy kissed the tip of Miranda's nose then laid back. "Well, let's just start with forever, and go from there."

"Agreed."

"It would have been much easier for me had you been turned into a doll of the sex variety." Miranda laughed at Andrea's expression. "All the clothing the girls found in the attic for you were woefully out of fashion." Her blue eyes twinkled with mischief. "But I would have obviously had a multitude of La Perla and other items that would have been great fun to dress you in."

Now Andy laughed and glanced at the clothes she had been loaned tossed and crumpled on the floor around the room and the door that she knew held more. Her eyebrows rose as she hooked her index finger under the underwear she had hastily removed earlier and held it up for Miranda to see. "And that would be different how?"

Miranda smiled and laughed, a state that had seemed foreign in the past and was now becoming natural when she was around Andrea. "Ah well," she took the bit of lace from Andrea and tossed it away, "I guess it's a doll's life for you."

Andy nodded and wrapped her arms around Miranda to pull her closer. She was able to mumble, "I guess so." Before conversation became impossible.

End.

11/22/17


End file.
